If you’ve known me for any reasonable length of time, I will inevitably bring up the fact that I’ve been a fan of Katy Perry’s since 2001, back when she was going by the name Katy Hudson and recording Christian rock music. So it’s been a dream of mine to talk with Katy about that… Read More Katy Perry’s ‘Prism’ – Album Preview
Fans of Kylie Minogue who’ve seen the pop diva in concert know that she has a tendency to reinvent some of her classic songs in a style that strips out the dance elements and reconfigures them in an more organic setting. The Abbey Road Sessions is essentially a studio-recorded version of these tour sections. The album takes… Read More Review: ‘The Abbey Road Sessions’ by Kylie Minogue
“Overexposed” can refer to several things when it comes to Maroon 5. For some, it might refer to lead singer Adam Levine’s now-constant media presence due to his participation on The Voice. Others may take it to refer to Levine’s frequent nudity. Still others may connect it to the radio presence of Levine and Maroon 5… Read More Maroon 5 Goes for Broke on ‘Overexposed’
Debut albums from American Idol alums are notoriously rushed efforts. Even the best of these albums fail to show the full potential of the artists recording them. More than with most artists, the second album is usually key in determining where the artist will go in the future. That’s the place Adam Lambert is at right now.… Read More Review: ‘Trespassing’ by Adam Lambert
It’s hard to peg where Dev fits in the pop music scene. At times, she’s like a sexier version of Ke$ha. Other times, she’s a knockoff version of…well, Ke$ha. That’s the biggest problem with Dev’s debut album, The Night the Sun Came Up, which finally comes out in altered form in the U.S. after being out… Read More Review: ‘The Night the Sun Came Up’ by Dev
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Kelly Rowland. Despite a series of attempts to step out on her own, she’s largely been overshadowed by the presence of her Destiny’s Child leader, Beyoncé. With her new effort, Here I Am, Rowland makes some changes to her attempts, with varied levels of success. Here I Am… Read More Review: ‘Here I Am’ by Kelly Rowland
On her fourth album, appropriately titled 4, Beyoncé largely eschews the urban-flavored dance pop which has brought her chart success in favor of a ballad-heavy sound with major influences of 70s, 80s and 90s R&B. From the opening notes of the slow-burning torch ballad “1+1,” it’s evident that 4 is a very different sort of… Read More Review: ‘4’ by Beyoncé
Indie dance-pop artist Simon Curtis became an Internet sensation last year when he released his debut album, 8Bit Heart, for free through his website. The album’s success brought Curtis buzz everywhere from pop-focused websites to Billboard. R∆, which derives its name from Curtis’ fanbase, the “Robot Army,” builds on the heavy electronic brand of dance music… Read More Review: ‘R∆’ by Simon Curtis
It’s difficult enough to follow up a promising debut album, whether it’s commercially or critically successful. When the debut album in question is not only critically and commercially successful, but was one of the biggest-selling albums of the year for the past two years, the pressure to follow through with a successful follow-up is unquestionably… Read More Review: ‘Born This Way’ by Lady Gaga
What a difference a year makes. A year ago, Jennifer Lopez was dealing with a number of career setbacks. The lead single from her upcoming album, “Louboutins,” was an undeniable flop (literally – she even fell on her well-known derriere during an American Music Awards performance of the song), which led her long-time record label,… Read More Review: ‘Love?’ by Jennifer Lopez
Elijah Sarkesian 